A Rochester man accused of rummaging through cars in a rural Mower County shed, getting his SUV stuck in the mud on the lawn and then asking the homeowner to help pull him out has pleaded not guilty.

Moeun Mok, 23, appeared in Mower County District Court Monday for felony third-degree burglary, felony fifth-degree drug possession, misdemeanor theft, misdemeanor driving with a revoked license and petty misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to court records, Mower County deputies were called about 7 a.m. on Feb. 25 to a property on 740th Avenue after a homeowner reported a 1999 Ford Expedition was stuck in his yard.

Deputies arrived and saw the vehicle stuck up to its axle in mud in the yard.

Mok, the Expedition’s driver, told deputies he and a female in the car had been driving and looking for junk when they pulled into the yard to turn around.

But Mok was fidgeting, speaking rapidly and nervous, causing deputies to believe he was on drugs.

He admitted to having methamphetamines, and deputies found .44 grams and two pipes in his coat pocket. They also learned Mok had a revoked license and was on probation in Olmsted County.

Deputies then observed footprints in the snow from the Expedition heading toward the house and shed, where the door was open.

The homeowner said Mok had come to his door asking to be pulled out of the driveway, but he declined and called law enforcement. He too saw footprints leading from the Expedition to his shed.

The homeowner said he had not left the shed door open.

The homeowner and a deputy found signs that someone had gone through a Ford station wagon and Ford Mustang parked inside the she, as doors to both were open.

Several items inside had been moved around, and tow straps and a Makita angle grinder were missing. The angle grinder box was found inside the shed, and the tow straps were found in Mok’s Expedition.

Mok was arrested, but he denied entering the shed.

He is due for a July 24 trial.